We hosted a dessert invention contest

Last week we held a dessert competition in Hackney, London.

Anyone could invent a new dessert and bring it to compete.

Jordan had written a blog post asking what The Next Tiramisu is, so I suggested that we run a competition to find out.

We threw up a quick website (dessert.quest), and put up posters around London. The posters got some traction on instagram and we also ended up on a billboard.

Postering had surprisingly good reach and selection. Most entrants were strangers and very vibes-aligned!

The judging panel included an internationally renowned pastry chef and an Executive Head Chef for Heston Blumenthal. They both came along purely for the love of the game. We were also lucky to have Mo representing the People’s Palette.

the panel

Each participant pitched their dessert to the room, whilst the judges tasted and scored.

Pitches included ancient legends, mood boards, and more than one chant.

It was heartwarming to see the care and imagination that people poured into their entries. Society contains a vast amount of under-expressed creativity that takes only a small nudge to activate.

The winning desserts were:

• Best overall: Luana’s Cocotapi [recipe]

• Most novel: H’s Hazelspud Bao [recipe as a beautiful website]

• Best presented dish: Rodica’s Cherry Blossom box cake [recipe]

• Best pitch: Joe’s Proustjacks [recipe]